- As you were about to press record,
I just saw this talon coming for me.
(upbeat music)
- Hey, guys.
I'm Chloe, and for the next few days,
I'm gonna see if people judge you based on your nails.
So, I've been a nail biter basically my entire life.
I have gotten a bit better,
but I am always super self-conscious
when I don't have a manicure because years of nail biting
have left my nails a mess.
But, do people really notice or care?
Do people form an opinion of what you're like
based on how you wear your nails?
For instance, do you seem lazy if you don't have a manicure?
Do you seem professional
if you have a tidy little gel manicure?
I wanted to find out.
So, I'm gonna get people's opinions
on three different nail looks:
bare and unmanicured like these little things,
a basic gel manicure,
and some pretty extra looking acrylics.
I'm gonna talk to co-workers
and I'll also post the looks on Instagram
to get opinions from the ever blunt internet.
Alright, let's send these fingers out into the world.
If you saw someone with nails like this,
what descriptive words would you use,
what adjectives, to describe that person?
- Casual.
- Creative.
- Carefree.
- Natural.
- Just down to earth.
- Not vain.
- Probably low maintenance.
- Low maintenance.
- Maybe a little bit nervous.
- A little bit anxious.
- Maybe earthy.
- Likes to shop for organic foods.
- I don't know, I guess I would look and be like,
how are you dressed?
How are you taking care of the rest of your hygiene?
If you look like you have washed hair,
then it's like, okay, whatever, cool.
Just natural.
- Definitely behind a computer.
- Handles camera equipment.
- Something using your hands.
- Maybe you work with your hands.
- So, considering how insecure I felt
about going around with my nails unmanicured,
I actually got quite a lot of positive responses
or at least neutral responses.
People definitely form opinions of you
if you don't do your nails,
but not really in an unkind or judgmental way.
The theme I saw being repeated the most
was about being down to earth
and that I probably work with my hands.
So, then I polled Instagram.
The most popular adjectives were hardworking and busy,
though some people thought the nails
gave off an I don't care vibe.
A lot of people also said I might work in healthcare
since most people in that industry
can't have their nails painted.
It's interesting to me that a lot of people thought
there must be something stopping me painting my nails
rather than it being a choice I made.
So, since I only needed them for one day,
I didn't get acrylics.
I found these press ons.
- I would probably think you're kind of high maintenance.
Someone who has to deal with that constantly,
like who has time?
- Typically, I would think tacky.
- They seem very glamorous.
- You like glamorous things.
- Glamorous.
- A little vain.
- I would also look at it and be like, I want this.
I feel bad, but this person doesn't work.
- I would think that you're pretty well off.
- She's an Instagram model.
- So, this look I can pretty much safely say
was the most judged.
My co-workers weren't just awfully negative,
but they almost all had the same things to say.
High maintenance and glamorous were the words
that popped up the most.
Most people thought I was just someone who was rich
and didn't really work
and then one person thought I would be an Instagram model.
Speaking of Instagram, I then went through the comments.
As I suspected,
they were a little more blunt than my co-workers.
Someone wondered how I could ever
complete necessary tasks with nails like this
and a few people figured
that I probably didn't have small children.
The most popular words were fashionable,
glamorous, and high maintenance.
Just got done at the nail salon.
Got a gel manicure.
Didn't want anything too bright
or anything too similar to the extensions.
- I would think that you're over 25.
- Classy, I would say, 'cause it's all just one color.
- I feel like I would just assume
that you're a little bit girlier.
- Trendy professional.
- Like a middle-aged professional lady.
- You probably have your shit together.
- Put together.
- Someone who wears a pant suit.
- A desk job or something.
- Maybe somewhere that you'd actually see the nails
like at a front desk or something.
- Talent agent.
- Oh, you work on a sales team.
- This look had a few reactions
that contradicted each other.
We had girly and trendy,
but we also had middle-aged
and someone who wears a pant suit.
But the most popular adjectives
were professional and put together.
Everyone thought I was employed with this look
and most likely in a professional job.
So, it seems like the easiest way
to convince someone you're doing okay in life
is to just get a gel manicure.
Professional also popped up
over and over again on Instagram,
but interestingly, so did hardworking,
which was one of the popular words for the unmanicured look.
Some people made a distinction by saying hardworking
but takes care of herself,
which would suggest that if you don't get manicures,
you're not looking after yourself.
Overall, the gel look was the one Instagram
had the last negative things to say about.
Do you think you would judge someone
based on the appearance of their nails?
- I might if their nails were really extreme
on the done up end, but yeah, the no nail polish?
I wouldn't even notice it, to be honest.
- Probably when I was a little bit less worldly
and a little more closed minded,
I would've definitely judged someone by their nails.
- I feel like maybe I make a couple assumptions
that might be wrong.
- I don't know if I make a judgment other than
when I see people that have super long crazy ass nails
that are cool right now, I'm like, oh, that person's cool.
- I'd say only if there's something particularly flashy
or noticeable about them.
- If they were shaved down,
like people that bite their nails like crazy.
- I'm not one to look at people's nails.
For me, that's the last of the beauty routine
that I care about.
- I feel like I never judge people on their nails
unless they're really good.
- So, all in all, yeah,
people do judge you based on your nails,
but only if people notice them.
A lot of my co-workers mentioned
that it's not the first thing they notice in a person,
and even if it was,
they would look at how the person presents
the rest of themselves before passing a judgment.
Okay, honestly,
it is human nature to judge people
whether it's positively or negatively.
So, all you can really do is just be whoever you wanna be
and do whatever the hell you want with your nails
'cause who really cares?
And now I've said that,
I kinda wanna get some glitter unicorn crow (bleep) on them.
That sounds fun.
Bye.
(upbeat music)